


The Perils of Desdemona

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 13:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2431259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Well she may but she enjoys indulging me.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perils of Desdemona

**Author's Note:**

> hopskotch_hotch wanted Elizabeth to see Jason and Emily. So she did.

“I am so sorry.”

 

The velvety voice whispered in her ear and Emily shivered as the warm, firm hands slid across her bare shoulders.

 

“You don’t have to apologize.” She sipped her champagne.

 

“I did not come here to play the handshake game,” Jason leaned on the bar in front of her. “I came here to be with you.”

 

“You are with me, and you look quite dapper Agent Gideon.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Mmm hmm.” Emily smiled. “I should force you into a suit more often.”

 

“I find it incredibly sexy when you dominant me.”

 

Emily laughed. Jason took her hand and held it up to his lips. He had taken her to the Kennedy Center to see the Washington Opera Company perform Othello in two acts. It was Emily’s favorite Shakespeare play and she wanted to see Charles Duvall, the famous tenor, in his American debut. 

 

When he told her they were going, Emily did her best to conceal her excitement but Jason knew her well. He knew she could not wait to dress up, schmooze with society and sit in the box enjoying the show. Emily may not have loved where she came from but she fit in like a round peg when required. Tonight at the Kennedy Center, it was required.

 

“Are you having a good time?” Jason asked, taking a flute of champagne from a passing server.

 

“A lovely time. Its not often I get both time off and an excuse to dress up. Plus,” she straightened his black bowtie. “Spending time with you is so nice. Real time, outside, where people might see us.” she feigned shock and Jason smiled.

 

“I abhor keeping you in a box, Katya. Butterflies should always be free.”

 

“If I were a bird, which would I be?”

 

“How often do you think about that?”

 

“You're not allowed to profile me, Jason. Answer the question.”

 

He profiled her all the time and was sure that she did the same to him. Yes, it was one of the rules of the BAU as well as their relationship not to do such a thing. He had been a profiler too long…he profiled everything. It was like breathing.

 

“Well I definitely think…”

 

“Emily? Oh my, I certainly didn’t expect to see you hear tonight.”

 

The FBI profiler stiffened but when she turned around, smiled at her mother.

 

“Hello mother,”

 

They both held out their arms, sharing a hug. Elizabeth kissed her daughter’s cheek.

 

“You look exquisite tonight.” Elizabeth said. “I used to have to tie you down to get a dress on you.”

 

“That was a long time ago. You look beautiful too.”

 

“This old thing?” Elizabeth smiled as she smoothed out her black vintage Halston dress. “And you, is that Armani?”

 

“Grace Slaton. She owns a great little boutique in Adams-Morgan. I love to support locally.”

 

Emily wore a maroon strapless corset with black vines and a maroon skirt. A black wrap covered her bare shoulders. She pulled her hair up and diamonds covered her ears and neck.

 

“Well it’s simply lovely, darling. Good evening, Agent Gideon.” Elizabeth extended her hand.

 

“It’s lovely to see you again, Ambassador Prentiss.”

 

“I have to say I am a bit surprised.”

 

“Why?” Jason asked. “I have always loved the opera. Not that you would have any way of knowing that.” he grinned.

 

“Emily hates the opera.”

 

“Hate is a strong word.” Emily replied.

 

“Well she may but she enjoys indulging me.”

 

“Oh really?” the Ambassador raised her eyebrow. Then she looked at her daughter.

 

Emily wanted the ground to swallow her whole. She had run through several worse case scenarios of she and Jason “fraternizing”. Most of them involved Erin Strauss or Hotch finding out. She hadn't even thought of her mother. That was unlike Emily, she usually covered all of the bases. She was now paying for her inattention to details.

 

“Yes.” Jason nodded, still wearing his jovial grin. He slid his arm through Emily’s. “The intermission is nearly over…we don’t want to miss the second act.”

 

“There is still some time. I would like to speak to my daughter if I could.”

 

Elizabeth did not wait for an answer before walking away. Emily took a deep breath. She shot Jason a look, squeezed his arm, and followed her mother.

 

“I don’t want to miss the second act.” Emily said.

 

“What are you doing?” her mother whispered through clenched teeth.

 

Emily knew that tone of voice and she hated it. It took her back to being fifteen or so, deemed intolerable, and sent to her room. Her mother’s rigidity had not changed a bit not that Emily ever expected it to. She just didn’t think she still had to deal with it. She was no longer a child.

 

“You know how much I love Othello.”

 

“Emily Katherine Prentiss…”

 

“Stop it mother. I am 36 years old and you cannot scare me with all three of my names anymore. I am having a nice night out with someone whose company I enjoy. We are not going to get into a discussion of my life choices here. You are not privy to every detail of everything I do.”

 

“There are plenty of nice men out there, darling; nice girls even.”

 

“Mother!” Emily’s brown eyes widened.

 

“Do not get involved with him. In addition to the fact that I believe him to be unstable, however brilliant, he is your supervisor. You have clawed your way up the ranks in the FBI without once using your father or I to your advantage. It is not your fault that we are your parents. It will be your fault if you sleep with your superior. Do not tell me it has nothing to do with work because work is your life.”

 

“I don’t want to miss the second act.” Emily repeated.

 

“I love you and I will look after you…it’s what mothers do.”

 

“Mother, if you pick up your phone and say one bad word about Jason Gideon based on something you know little about I will never speak to you again. I swear it.” she kissed her mother’s cheek. “I love you too.”

 

Emily walked away. She went back to the bar, finished her champagne, and once again took Jason’s arm.

 

“That didn’t go well, did it?” he asked as they walked the stairs to their box.

 

“We’ll find out if Erin Strauss calls you into her office for a conversation in the near future.”

 

“Erin Strauss.” Jason smirked. “She’s a joke. Did you know she barely made it through the Academy?”

 

“What? She is a Section Chief.” Emily looked at him.

 

“Watch me shake in my shoes. I am not going to let her, or anyone, ruin our evening. Agreed?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Really agreed?”

 

Emily sighed; moving her face so close to his she could feel his breath on her skin. Their lips almost touched. 

 

“Yes, Jason.”

***

A frustrated sound came from Jason’s diaphragm and he pulled away from her. Emily opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the darkness. She turned on her side to look at him.

 

“What's the matter?”

 

“I think I should be asking you that, Emily. You’re distracted.”

 

“I'm not…” she couldn’t finish the sentence.

 

“I know when you're here with me and when you're not. You are not.”

 

“I'm sorry.” Emily pulled the sheet up to cover her nakedness.

 

“Don’t apologize,” Jason put his arms around her. “Tell me what's bothering you.”

 

“What do you think, Jason?”

 

He laughed and that peeved Emily. She moved out of his embrace, crossing her arms.

 

“Don’t laugh at me.”

 

“I am not…Oh my God, you are so cute when you pout. I am not laughing at you.”

 

“Well I am worried about you and that is not funny.”

 

“Your mother is not going to make trouble.” Jason once again took her into his arms. “Firstly, she would have no idea what she was talking about. There is no law against colleagues going to the opera. Secondly, if Erin decided to flash her claws, I can flash mine. We have known each other a long time. Yes, she is a Section Chief, big deal. Erin Strauss is an FBI Agent on paper…she couldn’t hack it in the field so she decided to rise in the ranks and unleash her wrath on those that could. I am not afraid of her and you shouldn’t be either.”

 

“She…”

 

“What?” Jason took her face into her hands. “Talk to me, Katya. You can tell me anything.”

 

“I just don’t want anything to happen to you because of me. I'm not fully a team member yet and…”

 

“Not true.” Jason shook his head. “You're a valued member of our team; we all feel that way.”

 

“I’ll take your word for it.”

 

“You should.” Jason kissed her. “I know you’ve always felt…”

 

“Don’t profile me.” Emily’s tone was exasperated.

 

“I'm sorry.” He kissed her again. “Let me help you relax. We had a lovely time tonight and the last thing you need to be worried about right now are those two women. Real and imagined things held over your head aren’t allowed in this bed with us.”

 

Emily tried to relax. She moaned when Jason touched her and held him close as he made love to her. She even held him in her arms as he slept, but couldn’t help but think about a phone call that she could get tomorrow or the next day. She wasn’t free and didn’t know when she would be. When had something she wanted more than anything turned into a nightmare? 

 

Might Erin Strauss think she was willing to give her body for information? Would learning of this enrage the Section Chief or get a nod of approval? Something had to give…Emily Prentiss never wanted this. Like so many other things in her life, it was thrust upon her. She didn’t know how she was going to get out of it but she would. 

 

It would have to be on her own, no one could know. She hated the idea of hiding things from Jason, and other people who now trusted her with having their backs at the BAU and in the field. Would anyone even believe that Strauss threatened her, trapped her? Would they just think it was the princess playing politics like so many assumed she always did?

 

Jason kissed her cheek in his sleep and it made her smile. Emily still struggled to relax enough to sleep. Eventually it came and though it was fitful, he was close and that was more comfort than she had had in a long while. Emily Prentiss was a problem solver. This one was quite large but not impossible. No one owned her and it was time to prove it.

***


End file.
